Florence Rena Sabin (1871-1953) was an American anatomist and medical
researcher. Her excellent and innovative work on the origins of the
lymphatic system, blood cells, and immune system cells, and on the
pathology of tuberculosis was well-recognized during her lifetime.
She was also a trailblazer for women in science: the first woman to
hold a full professorship at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the
first woman elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and the
first woman to head a department at the Rockefeller Institute for
Medical Research. In her retirement years, she pursued a second
career as a public health activist in Colorado, and in 1951 received
a Lasker Award for this work.

As part of its Profiles in Science project, the
National Library of Medicine has collaborated with
the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College and the American Philosophical Society to digitize and make available over
the World Wide Web a selection of the
Florence R. Sabin Papers for use by educators and
researchers. This site provides access to the portions
of the Florence R. Sabin Papers that
have been selected for digitization.
Individuals interested in conducting research in the
Florence R. Sabin Papers are invited to contact
the Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College and the American Philosophical Society.

This online Exhibit is designed to introduce you to the
various phases of Sabin's
scientific career and professional life. It is divided
into sections that focus on
Sabin's life and major
scientific contributions. We suggest that new visitors
begin with this exhibit, which includes a small
selection of documents and visuals, organized within
these sections. Each section begins with a "Background
Narrative," which leads to "Documents" and "Visuals."

Visitors may access additional materials through
Search
on the navigation bar. They may also view the materials
alphabetically or chronologically by choosing
Browse
on the navigation bar. Documents and visuals in these
lists are arranged by format and then either
alphabetically by title or chronologically.